Rooney hat-trick revival crowns a United masterclass

There is so much to admire about Manchester United at present that Sir Alex Ferguson's only worry might be whether they have peaked too soon. The Premiership's top side are playing with such panache, with Wayne Rooney now inviting so many superlatives, that there is only one conclusion to draw - that this is a side on the point of a significant arrival.

In which case an apology is probably overdue. These pages may have suggested at various stages that the transfer of Ruud van Nistelrooy could be a devastating blow to United's hopes of catching and overhauling Chelsea.

Questions have been asked about whether United could get by without the player Ferguson habitually trumpeted as the best striker in Europe. Legitimate questions, too.

Yet the overwhelming weight of evidence is that United have developed into a more sleek, polished team without Van Nistelrooy. This looks particularly true now that Rooney - who ended his 10-game run without a goal in the most emphatic way on Saturday - has reacted to the beginnings of a personal crisis like a man swatting away a bothersome fly.

Paul Parker, the former United player now working as an MUTV summariser, suggested recently that Van Nistelrooy had become a liability. "I can't stand lazy players," said the former England international, fuel for the argument that Ferguson has pulled off his most daring masterstroke yet.

"Ruud scored 30 goals a season for us, he was someone I really liked and I was sad to see him go, but we have found a way of playing without him," Louis Saha volunteered after this display of one-touch, pass-them-to-death football. "We are scoring goals from all parts of the pitch now. This is not an attack on anyone, but we are definitely playing more together this season."

It is a statement backed up by the fact that this time last year United had managed a dreary 14 goals from their opening 10 games, Van Nistelrooy getting eight of them. This season the figure is 23, courtesy of 10 different players and, for now, United have re-established themselves as the league's most penetrative and entertaining side. Some of their football here was of a quality usually seen only on a computer - though Rooney was clearly helped by some obliging Bolton defending.

Sam Allardyce bemoaned "dreadful mistakes" by his centre-halves Abdoulaye Meite and Abdoulaye Faye, but there was still something bewitching about the manner in which Rooney clinically dispatched every opportunity. He operated in a more orthodox centre-forward role than usual and the two Abdoulayes were made to look like a pair of training-ground cones.

"The people who questioned Wayne really don't know anything about football," Saha said. "He has answered everyone with his goals. He's a terrific player, a great. We never doubted him once."

On the same weekend last season United were thumped 4-1 by a Middlesbrough side that were hovering just above the Premiership's relegation zone and had an 18-year-old making his full debut in the centre of defence. It left them 13 points adrift of Chelsea, their title challenge over before the leaves had dropped from the trees. The Match of the Day pundits described it as the most abject performance of Ferguson's time as manager. And he didn't sue.

A year on, his demeanour is of a man who cannot possibly see how they can go wrong. He complained recently that we were living in "an era of over-reaction" so perhaps this is no time to suggest they look more credible champions than Chelsea, but the emphatic way they are dismantling opponents speaks for itself.

Rooney's renascent form will be the most worrying aspect for those at Stamford Bridge, but Ferguson will be just as delighted by the long-awaited emergence of Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra as accomplished Premiership performers. Likewise, Michael Carrick's exquisite passing unlocked Bolton's defence for two of the goals. And then there are the enduring qualities of the timelessly brilliant Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.

One moment in the first half when Giggs elegantly brought down a high ball invited applause even from the home supporters.

Saha, too, is playing with an athleticism that could trouble the most robust opponents. His powerful running frequently unsettled Bolton's defenders, never more so than when presenting Cristiano Ronaldo with his goal, and his emergence as a bona-fide replacement for Van Nistelrooy ranks as another personal triumph for Ferguson as he nears 20 years at Old Trafford.

"We could have played the greatest game we had ever played, and still not beaten them," Gary Speed, the Bolton midfielder, said. "I have played against some great teams in the past, but nothing like that."

Man of the match Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

Back with a bang

Wayne Rooney's emphatic hat-trick against Bolton on Saturday was the first in the Premiership this season. This is how he did it.

1Picks up Michael Carrick's clever pass and gives Jussi Jaaskelainen no chance with a powerful drive to give United the lead after 10 minutes.

2Seizes on a loose ball and scores with a calmly placed side-footed shot. "He's a great player and deserved his goals against us," says Gary Speed.

3Benefits from an error by Abdoulaye Meite to score with a confident strike. "A great goal. It was the best of the lot," says Sir Alex Ferguson.